Dong Thap Customs Department: Facilitating the promotion of agricultural and fishery exports

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The Customs force coordinates with the Border Guard force to facilitate the import and export of border residents. Photo: T.H

Facilitating agricultural exports

As one of the leading provinces of the Mekong Delta region for farming andfishing, the export of these products by Dong Thap province has continuously grown. Export goods includes: fishery products, rice, shrimp fries, footwear, clothes, medicines and animal feed. The major export commodities are rice and fishery products, accounting for 85% of export turnover.

Director of Dong Thap Customs Department Nguyen ThanhToan said Dong Thap has taken effective measures to facilitate agricultural and fishery product exporters. It has actively instructed procedures and removed shortcomings for enterprises.

Before exporting and importing good, many enterprises have demand for instruction on Customs procedures and Dong Thap Customs Department has guided them. For example, Tuong Nguyen Import Export Trading Service Co., Ltd is expected to authorise or to be authorised for fertiliser imports which was instructed by Dong Thap Customs Department. Or the case of Nguyen PhungTinh Garment One- Member Limited Liability Company needs to export a first consignment to bonded warehouse, so it proposed Dong Thap Customs officers instruct the implementation. Although the company did not specify the export regime, Dong Thap Customs Department provided three regimes for the company to implement.

In addition, the performance of Customs- Business Consult Teams at border gate Customs branches where implementing Customs clearance for export goods of enterprises, are maintained and regularly guide enterprises to use online public services and effectively implement the National Single Window. Especially, Dong Thap Customs Department signed coordinate agreements on Customs-Business with fivebusinesses which regularly import and export goods and have large turnover in the province and issued the plan for development of the Customs- Business partnership and relevant parties in 2019, including many specific solutions for the Customs reform and modernization and facilitation for people and businesses.

Supporting businesses

According to Toan, with the motto of “Profession- Transparency- Efficiency”, Dong Thap Customs Department has regularly held partner activities with the business community. It has established Customs- Business Consult Teams, established a website, organised a Customs-Business dialogue conference to receive feedback on the Customs authorities’ performance and handle problems. In addition, an information channel which effectively supports businesses is “Business Coffee Programme”heldby the Provincial People's Committee. Accordingly, this programme is held monthly with the participation of many departments and branches of the province. Leaders of Dong Thap Customs Department also participated in these programmes to support and handle problems for businesses in importing and exporting goods.

Inspecting import and export goods at Thuong Phuoc Border Gate. T.H

Currently, the number of businesses that regularly carry out Customs procedures at Dong Thap Customs Department is not large, but with effective support, the department has created trust with businesses. At arecent dialogue conference hold by Dong Thap Customs Department, representatives of businesses highly appreciated the department’ efforts in reforming and supporting businesses.

With the solutions to support and attract businesses to carry out procedures in the province, the number of business and Customs declaration at border gates has increased. In the first four months of 2019, 68 business households carried out Customs procedures, increasing by fivebusinesses compared to 2018.

To create a transparent business environment, Dong Thap Customs Department has implemented solutions to prevent smuggling and trade fraud. The smuggling and illegal transportation of goods across border gates were closely controlled; smuggling gangs were occurred. There were only small smuggling and illegal transportation of goods. The Customs force detected and arrested more than30 cases of Customs offences with infringing goods value of more than 500 million VND.

Dong Thap Customs Department strives to accomplish its revenue collection assigned by the Ministry of Finance of more than 78 billion VND.